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Community Arts Fellowships

Applications for summer 2016 are open.

DEADLINE: February 9

 

Since 1984, the Haas Center has encouraged students to explore public service through its fellowship opportunities. In fall 2005, The Institute for Diversity in the Arts (IDA) (formerly the Committee on Black Performing Arts (CBPA)) began a unique interdisciplinary program with a mission of engaging artists, students and the local community collaboratively to create performance and visual art that examine the complex intersections between race, diversity and social action. In partnership with IDA, the Haas Center developed the Community Arts Fellowship in order to provide opportunities for students to work with arts organizations on significant outreach priorities.

Community Arts Fellows (CAF) have the opportunity to spend a summer working full time in the areas of curating, presenting, outreach and/or arts education with a focus on social justice or racial justice issues. Fellows may work in the United States or abroad.

CAF fellows work with an arts organization or a community-based organization using the arts to further social and racial justice goals. Upon selection, the Executive Director of IDA will work with Fellows to find and pair themselves with an academic mentor. With the help of their selected academic mentor, IDA staff, and previous CAF administrators and Fellows, CAF Fellows will meet with their mentors and with IDA/CAF’s support team to determine academic research that may assist with preparation for, and follow-up on, the summer learning experience.

Applicants must proposed their own placements with organizations with which they have corresponded before the application deadline and effectively demonstrate that their intended partner organization is a well-run organization, where they will receive adequate guidance and supervision. Fellows assist in building and maintaining relationships with these arts organizations and the communities in which they are based.

Recent Fellows have worked with the Mural Music & Arts Project, Katina Parker's film project on Ferguson and Black Lives Matter, Scene and Heard (North London, UK), Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, Art of the Soul (Gaborone, Botswana), Rashaad Newsome Studios, and more.

Each Community Arts Fellow receives a base stipend of $4,000 award to support travel and living expenses during the summer. Financial aid and supplemental funding are available to students who qualify.

Requirements

Community Arts fellows are required to work at least 35 hours/week for 9 consecutive weeks at their placements. Other commitments include the following:

Spring Quarter

  • Domestic service: attend a program orientation in April.
  • International service: contact Hilary Douglas
  • Design a personal learning plan for the summer.
  • Participate in placement identification process.
  • Meet with academic mentor at least once.

Summer

  • Update staff with changes to contact information.
  • Share learning plan with site supervisor and update accordingly.
  • Check in with IDA staff at least once during the fellowship.
  • Submit a final report, complete a program evaluation, and correspond with fellowship donor(s) as requested by fellowship program staff.

Autumn Quarter

  • Meet with academic mentor at least once.
  • Attend a debriefing for the purpose of reflecting upon and evaluating summer experiences.
  • Participate in at least two campus presentations to share experiences and help publicize the program.

Eligibility and Selection Process

Up to two Community Arts Fellowships are awarded. Currently enrolled undergraduate students from all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply. Priority may be given to students who have previously taken or enrolled in IDA’s gateway course, Drama 110: Identity, Diversity and Aesthetics. All applicants should exhibit a demonstrated interest in the arts that relates to a particular field of study. Applicants vary in academic interests, community service involvement and experience. Graduating seniors may apply with the understanding that preference will be given to competitive continuing undergraduate applicants.

This fellowship is intended for individuals whose application, references and interview demonstrate

  • integration of the fellowship experience with applicant’s academic, personal and/or career goals
  • prior interest or involvement in the subject area, including related coursework
  • strong interpersonal and intercultural skills
  • a commitment to exploring the ways in which the arts are a means of achieving greater cultural awareness on issues of race and diversity

Complete applications will be screened, finalists interviewed, and fellows selected by a committee with the intention to announce fellowship awards prior to spring break. Committee decisions are final.

Application

Submission deadline for application materials, including unofficial transcript and recommendation, is February 3, 2015, at 11:59 pm (PST). All documents are time stamped upon receipt. Application materials received after the posted deadline are not accepted.

A complete fellowship application includes the following three components:

1) Application Form

  • List of related academic coursework
  • Three relevant work and/or volunteer or public service experiences
  • Three bullets of honors/awards
  • Personal statement

The personal statement questions are your opportunity to express why you are interested in this fellowship experience. The selection committee is interested in both your personal and academic reasons for applying. Please ensure that you are thorough and specific in your responses to the questions. Respond to each question separately; each response should be approximately one paragraph (4–5 complete sentences) in length.

  • What are your personal motivations for applying for this fellowship?
  • How have you prepared for this particular fellowship?
  • How will this particular fellowship contribute to your academic success at Stanford?
  • What do you feel will be your biggest challenge(s) in accomplishing your fellowship goals?
  • How will you measure the success of your personal contribution?

2) Recommendation

Provide Stanford faculty/staff recommender with detailed information about the fellowship(s) for which you are applying, and ask them to complete the online recommendation form.

3) Transcript

Please submit an unofficial transcript via Stanford Axess.

  • Go to the Student Center tab from the Axess home page
  • Click on "My Academics"
  • Click on “View my unofficial transcripts”
  • In the drop down menu marked as “Career” select “undergraduate”
  • Click the green button “View Report”
  • Save pdf file with your name and upload to your application

Contact Information

For more information, please contact Jeff Chang.